Egypt’s NCIC issues tender to sell fertilizers

Spanish Market: Fertilizers
19/05/25

Egyptian producer NCIC has issued a tender to sell various fertilizers for loading in June, closing on 24 May.

NCIC is offering the following products:

30,000t of DAP – it sold 15,000t at $683-687/t fob in its last tender, probably for shipment to Europe
17,000t of TSP – it sold 15,000t at $535-540/t fob in its last tender. The cargo was probably sold at $573/t cfr Brazil
30,000t of 19pc SSP – it sold 30,000t at $255-260/t fob in its last tender, probably for shipment to Brazil
10,000t of CAN 27 – it sold 10,000t at $275-280/t fob in its last tender
5,000t of granular urea – it did not award the 5,000t offered in its last tender
1,500t of water-soluble SOP – it sold 1,500t at $600-605/t fob in its last tender

NCIC's last sales tender offered May-loading fertilizers and closed on 15 April.

By Tom Hampson

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27/03/26

EPA approves DEF sensor removal

Houston, 27 March (Argus) — US diesel engines will no longer be required to have urea quality sensors (UQS) and will revert to using nitrous oxide (NOx) sensors, according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance issued on Thursday. That could lead to less diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) — a mixture of urea and de-ionized water, consumption in both road and non-road diesel engines — as the EPA implies a certain level of allowable dilution of urea concentration in DEF supply in special catalyst reduction (SCR) systems. An SCR system uses DEF to neutralize NOx emissions in diesel engines. The standard concentration of urea in DEF is 32.5pc, but the concentration can be diluted further by using lower-quality DEF and leading to small increases in NOx emissions. The agency's previous guidance to reduce inducement penalties, or engine power reductions because of SCR system faults, on users may also cut demand as users will no longer be required to carry an extra case of DEF to avoid engine derating in case of low DEF supply. UQS can detect DEF dilution and quality, but require certain parameters to operate correctly. The EPA determined, via data from the Truck and Engine Manufacturers Association, that UQS have some of the highest failure rates of equipment across SCR systems. As a result, the EPA on Thursday suggested that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) return to the NOx sensors that were the main sensors present on SCR systems prior to model year 2016 road engines and model year 2017 non-road equipment. The EPA says the fix can be done via a software update through some OEMs. The EPA, in an effort to reduce impact from DEF inducements because of faulty UQS, is encouraging OEMs to seek alternative monitoring technologies to improve robustness of SCR systems. In guidance issued in February, the EPA also affirmed that approved NOx sensor software updates can be installed on existing engines by owner/operators without being treated as tampering under the Clean Air Act. By Chris Mullins Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Iran turns back 3 ships trying to transit Hormuz: IRGC

27/03/26

Iran turns back 3 ships trying to transit Hormuz: IRGC

London, 27 March (Argus) — Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said today that its navy has turned back three container ships attempting to pass through the strait of Hormuz. The IRGC said the ships of "different nationalities" tried to move into a designated corridor for licensed traffic, but were warned off and forced to withdraw. It said the strait is "closed" and that any movement in the waterway will face "severe action". The IRGC also declared that the movement of any ship sailing to or from ports of countries allied with what it calls its "Zionist-American enemies" — to any destination and from any corridor — is prohibited. The statement follows Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi's comments on state TV on 25 March , when he said the strait remains open except to Iran's "enemies". Araqchi said Iran has allowed passage for vessels from "friendly countries, including China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan". By James Keates Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Strait of Hormuz traffic increases but remains low

26/03/26

Strait of Hormuz traffic increases but remains low

London, 26 March (Argus) — The number of vessels crossing the strait of Hormuz with their transponders switched on has risen to at least five in the past 24 hours after a slight easing of Iran's de facto blockade. Three dry bulk vessels — the Zea, Glykofiloussa and Neraki — crossed the northern section of the strait eastbound between Qeshm and Larak islands, according to MarineTraffic data. Market participants have indicated that the Qeshm–Larak gap could serve as a narrow checkpoint for controlled outbound transits. The Niba , a VLGC, also crossed the strait from west to east. And the NJ Jupiter , a Supramax, transited westbound. A further VLGC, the Salute , is currently heading eastbound towards the strait but has not yet crossed. Other vessels appear to have switched off their AIS transponders on approach, including the Rastanplan , a container ship that went dark off the coast of Kuhestak in Iran, east of the strait. Argus tracked only two vessels passing the strait daily on 24–25 March. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi has reiterated that the waterway remains open except to Iran's "enemies". "In our view, the strait of Hormuz is not totally closed," Araqchi said in a televised interview aired late on Wednesday. "It is only closed for our enemies." Araqchi said Iran has permitted passage for vessels from "friendly countries, including China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan". By Rhys van Dinther Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Iran says Hormuz strait only closed to ‘enemies’

26/03/26

Iran says Hormuz strait only closed to ‘enemies’

Dubai, 26 March (Argus) — Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi has reiterated that the strait of Hormuz remains open except to Iran's "enemies". "In our view, the strait of Hormuz is not totally closed," Araqchi said in a televised interview aired late on Wednesday. "It is only closed for our enemies." He said this stance was "natural" given that Iran is at war. "There is no reason to give right of passage to ships linked to the enemy and their allies." Traffic through the strait has been heavily restricted since major US–Israeli strikes against Iran on 28 February triggered retaliatory attacks on ships and energy infrastructure across the Mideast Gulf. The disruption has severely curtailed exports of crude, oil products, LNG, fertilizers and other commodities from the region. "Maybe [the US and Israel] did not believe Iran would obstruct flows through the strait — they thought Iran was bluffing, and that Iran would not dare," Araqchi said. "But we did it, with strength." Araqchi stressed that Iran has blocked safe passage only for "enemy-linked" vessels, adding that the strait remains open "for others". But he said some shipowners are choosing to avoid the waterway "because of the insecurity", while others are unable to transit because insurers "simply will not provide coverage". He said "many of these shipowners, or governments that own the ships" have contacted Tehran in recent days seeking assistance to ensure safe transit. "For some of those countries that are friendly to us, and which we have decided to help, safe passage has been provided by our armed forces," he said. Araqchi said Iran has permitted passage for vessels from "friendly countries, including China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan". Transit fee Araqchi's comments provide the clearest picture yet of how Tehran is managing flows through the strait, where traffic remains minimal. Argus tracked two vessels passing daily on 24–25 March. Iran's Tasnim news agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), quoted a member of parliament (MP) as saying legislation is being prepared to formalise a system under which Iran would "collect fees" to ensure the safe passage of ships through the strait. "This is completely natural," said Mohammad Reza Rezai Kouchi, chairman of parliament's civil affairs commission. "Just as in other corridors, when goods pass through a country, fees are paid. The strait of Hormuz is also a corridor. We ensure its security, so it is natural ships and tankers must pay their fees." This idea was foreshadowed over the weekend by another MP, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, who said Iran was charging vessel operators $2mn to transit the strait because of the "cost of war". But Iran's embassy in India rejected those claims on Monday, describing Boroujerdi's comments as his personal view. By Nader Itayim Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Australia urea topdressing at risk on US-Iran war

26/03/26

Australia urea topdressing at risk on US-Iran war

Sydney, 26 March (Argus) — Australian growers face higher fertilizer and fuel costs, which are affecting their planting decisions as they approach winter crop planting. The country's urea imports could also be affected, depending on the war in Iran, which could weigh on topdressing during the growing season. The dynamic could adversely affect yields and quality. The effective closure of the strait of Hormuz has cut off Australia from its main urea supplier, leaving some farmers exposed as they head into winter crop planting in April-June. Australia sources almost two-thirds of its annual urea imports from the Mideast Gulf (see graph). There is enough urea in Australia to cover the winter crop's pre-seeding application, but more imports are needed for topdressing applications starting in June, multiple suppliers said. Topdressing supports yields and quality in crops and typically occurs in June and July for wheat and barley and August for canola. Crop volumes and, importantly, protein levels in wheat, could be reduced if supplies are tight and high fertilizer prices cause farmers to pull back from their typical topdressing. Domestic and international urea prices have surged since the war began, driven by tight supply and higher freight rates. Argus last assessed granular urea at A$1,250-1,340/t ($872-934/t) fca Geelong on 19 March, a 55pc increase from before the war (see graph). Some trades were heard above A$1,400/t fca Geelong this week. Uncertainty about when — and if — urea supply will return to normal, along with higher expected fertilizer and fuel costs, are being factored into planting decisions. Barley plantings are likely to rise in place of wheat because of its lower fertilizer requirements and strong prices. Canola plantings could also be dictated by the balance of expected returns from higher oil markets against higher fertilizer and fuel costs. Some growers in Western Australia are receiving advice from agronomists and fellow farmers to grow more pulses, like broad beans and lentils, because these use less fertilizer than grains like canola and wheat. In northern crop regions, which are already dry, some acres could be left for fallow. The last vessel carrying fertilizer to Australia through the strait of Hormuz departed on 23 February and is expected in WA on 26 March, vessel tracking data from Kpler show. There will likely be no vessels arriving in Australia from the Mideast Gulf in April because vessels travelling from the region typically take at least three weeks to arrive. Furthermore, granular urea cannot be easily replaced with alternative nitrogen fertilizers like urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) and ammonium sulphate (amsul). Supplies of UAN, which is mainly used in WA, could be restricted because the main supplier, China, stopped exports as of 13 March. Meanwhile, amsul has around half the nitrogen of urea which increases handling and application costs. By Susannah Cornford and Edward Dunlop Australia urea imports (t) Granular urea fca Geelong (A$/t) Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Egypt’s NCIC issues tender to sell fertilizers

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